She says the facility has improved considerably since her last visit three years ago.

However, she says some families have been there for six months and she is concerned about their mental health if they stay longer.

"Six months is really that point by which people's mental health begins to deteriorate," she said.

"So there are a couple of families in here who need to be either put onto bridging visas or moved into the community, in community detention, pretty quickly I'd suggest, before what has been a positive experience turns into a negative one.

"It's quite clear that for those that have been in detention for a longer period, it's getting toward crunch time for them, wanting to know why they are in detention when they have seen other people move through."